


Ink and Petals

by Gummy



Category: Avatar: Legend of Korra
Genre: Alternate Universe - Flower Shop, Alternate Universe - Tattoo Parlor, F/F
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2014-12-28
Updated: 2015-01-12
Packaged: 2018-03-04 00:12:11
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 5
Words: 6,991
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/2894753
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Gummy/pseuds/Gummy
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>Tumblr AU where Korra works in a tattoo shop and Asami works in the flower arrangement store across the street. Basically fluff.</p>
            </blockquote>





	1. Chapter 1

**Author's Note:**

> This is my first story so tips are welcome

Business was slow. Really slow. Even the tiny flower shop across the street was getting more business than the tattoo shop and you could count their customers on one hand most days. Korra sat behind the counter, skimming an uninteresting magazine about current events and glancing out the window every few seconds. They hadn’t had a single customer all day which was extremely unusual. Arrow Head Tattoos was the most famous shop in the city because of Korra and Mako’s high skill level and involvement with other high ranking artists. The place was usually brimming with customers eager to get a piece of Korra’s legendary art permanently stabbed into their body. She grumbled and licked her finger, turning the page without even reading it. 

“Hey Korra I’m heading out to pick up lunch!” Mako called from the back room.

“Take your time, not like we have anyone waiting,” Korra fumed, tossing the magazine aside. 

“Play some music while I’m gone, it’ll calm you down.” Mako said, as he exited the shop, keys jingling on his belt. She watched him mount his motorcycle and motor down the street and out of sight. Scowling deeply, Korra put her head down on the desk, boredom weighing down her body. The jingle of the doorbell made her snap up eagerly, looking excitedly for the first customer of the day. Her face fell when she realized it was only the bell of a bike stopping in front of the flower shop. 

“Of course,” She said crossly. She watched a woman with long raven hair park the bicycle on the designated rack and pause to tie an apron around her waist. She turned around, leaving Korra stunned and staring as she finally got a proper look at her face. The girl’s perfectly groomed eyebrows knitted in frustration as she tried to tie the knot behind her back. Then their eyes met through the transparent window. Korra’s mouth popped into an O shape as the girl stared back with piercing green eyes. They both blushed dark red, the girl quickly retreating into the flower shop. The sound of Mako’s motorcycle did nothing to snap her out of her daze.

“Hey I got you some of those weird crab rolls you like,” He said, looking down at his phone as he walked through the door, “I figured you could use…” Korra quickly forced a grin, her eyes darting back to Mako’s face which now looked smug. 

“Thanks for the rolls man I’m starving!” Korra said, shoving an entire one in her mouth. Mako’s face remained unchanged as she tried to continue smiling through cheek-fulls of crabmeat and veggies.

“So, I’m assuming they were hot?” Mako said teasingly, removing his sushi from its bag.

“Some hot girl walked by so what?” Korra said sourly, shoving another roll into her mouth.

“Yeah but that look tells me that you have a chance to chat her up,” he said slyly. Just as Korra was about to throw her chopstick at Mako’s head, the bell on the door jangled softly and the woman Korra saw earlier was standing tentatively in the doorway. She looked even more beautiful up close and possibly nervous as well. 

“I’m sorry I didn’t know it was lunch break,” She said with a humorous smile, “I could come back another time.” Korra realised that her mouth was still jammed full with crab rolls. She chewed frantically and swallowed the whole ball of food at once.

“Nonsense!” Mako said merrily, “This fine lady right here was just finishing up.” Korra threw him a nasty look behind her lunch bag, eyes watering from nearly spraining her throat. She stepped out from behind the counter and smiled at the mysterious woman. 

“Hi I’m Korra, head artist at Arrow Head Tattoos.” 

“Asami,” she replied, shaking Korra’s outstretched hand gently, “I was hoping you’d be the one available.” 

“I get that a lot,” Korra said smugly, “People don’t usually request Mako’s below average tattoos.” 

“Sorry what?” Mako said thickly through a mouth of sushi, looking up from his newspaper. Both women laughed as Mako turned back to his paper, muttering under his breath about finding a new job. 

“So you’re obviously here for a tattoo, what can I get you?” Korra said, pulling a sketchbook from the desk in her cubicle. She gestured to the other rolling chair which Asami sat in with her legs crossed. 

“Well I was hoping to get the logo of the flower shop across the street on my shoulder.”

“How much are they raising your salary if you do that?” Korra said, laughing at the absurdity. This girl was nuts. 

“I own the shop.” Asami said with a sly grin. Korra’s smile immediately faded.

“Oh right,” She cleared her throat, “There are better ways to advertise you know.”

“It’s not for advertising,” Asami said with a patient smile, “My mother was the one that opened the shop. She designed the logo.” 

“Your mother is a great artist,” Korra said, admiring the soft watercolor dragon wrapping itself around a lotus. 

“This was her last piece of art before she died.” Asami handed Korra the paper, “I’d like it to not be forgotten if the shop ever closed down.” Korra stared at Asami who was smiling warmly at her. A blush crept onto her cheeks so she quickly swiveled her chair around to face her desk so Asami couldn’t see. 

“I could add onto this if you like,” Korra said over her shoulder, “Maybe a light blue sky in the background with puffy clouds?” 

“That’s sweet,” Asami said, “But I would prefer it as it is.” 

“Yeah me too,” Korra smiled.   
\---  
“There all done,” Korra announced, putting down her machine. Asami sighed in relief, sitting up and stretching her legs. The air was thick with the smell of ink. Korra grabbed a mirror and held it behind Asami’s red, swollen shoulder which held an exact replica of the flower shop’s dragon logo. Asami stared at it for a long time; long enough that Korra worried that she had messed something up. 

“It’s perfect,” She said, tears brimming her eyes, “Mom would’ve been so impressed with your skill.” 

“I’m glad I could help you keep your mom’s legacy alive.” Korra said with a grin, slathering antibacterial cream on the rapidly swelling shoulder. She tried not to enjoy the contact too much, quickly wiping her hands off and wrapping the tattoo in plastic. She carefully recited the aftercare instructions and what the expect during the healing process.  
“So yeah just whatever you do, make sure you don’t scratch it.” Korra finished, handing Asami a paper with an overview of everything she just said, “Oh and don’t be surprised if you wake up in a pile of your own skin flakes.” 

“I can’t thank you enough,” Asami said, clutching the paper in her fingers.

“It’s my job you know.” Korra said with a chuckle, “You can come back any time you want.”

“Even if I’m not getting a tattoo?”

“Yeah! Come chat with me...that is if you want too of course its not mandatory-”

“I’d love too.” Asami interjected, “I want to get to know you more.” She placed a stack of bills on Korra’s desk, pulling her shirt back up over her bandaged shoulder.

“Maybe I can come to the flower shop sometime?” Korra suggested nervously, a slight blush painting her cheeks.

“That could work,” Asami said, pausing at the door, “Maybe you can show me all your tattoos while we’re there. I can close the shop whenever I like. Owner’s privilege” 

“Y-yeah that would...be swell.” Korra stuttered, face practically sizzling.

“See you then,” Asami winked and was gone, leaving Korra speechless and a little sweaty. Behind her she could hear a piece of sushi drop from Mako’s gaping mouth.


	2. II

"Sir, I really need you to hold still." Korra pleaded with her current customer who practically went into spasms whenever the needle touched his skin.

"But the needle hurts!" He whined, running a hand over the shaved top of his head. Korra bit back an exasperated sigh and dipped her needle back into the ink. Working in the tattoo industry definitely broke several stereotypes she had internalized. Her current client was pushing 250 pounds of pure, heavyweight muscle and had a leering, thuggish demeanor, but after 20 minutes of tattooing, he began to fidget and whine like a child. Of course he had asked for a tribal band around the thick bulk of his bicep. Why not contribute to the stereotype even more?

"I'm almost finished," Korra said with a hint of impatience, "I just really need you to stop squirming." The man nodded but flinched the moment Korra started the machine back up. She went back to filling in the outline as the man's whine got higher and higher pitched. With one final touch, she slathered the fresh tattoo with antibacterial cream and wrapped it in a layer of plastic.

"Wow it looks great!" Her client boomed, twisting his arm to get a better look, "It didn't even hurt as bad as I thought it would!" Korra grimaced as he handed her a stack of cash, exiting the shop with a wide grin on his face. She grumbled and tossed the money on her desk, ready to start her clean up routine.

"I'm glad that wasn't my customer," Mako said from behind the counter, "I would've lost my mind listening to him cry."

"You're getting the next meathead that comes in." Korra said irritably, "I almost stabbed myself in the leg when he yanked his arm away."

"Don't be so cranky, he left you a good tip."

"Yeah yeah." Korra muttered, throwing a towel over her shoulder. She gathered up all her used supplies and dumped it into the garbage can. She paused to look out the window at the flower shop which had a few customers, mostly old people, wandering around inside. She caught a glance of Asami who was chatting animatedly with an old man holding a withered cactus. Korra found herself grinning slightly. The old man was obviously asking questions about how to save his plant and Asami seemed so patient with him even though it was pretty clear the cactus had been dead for some time. She watched until the old man left happily with a new one that was much larger than what he originally had.

"What are you staring at?" Mako said, coming up beside Korra and peering through the glass.

"Uh nothing I thought I saw a stray dog," Korra stammered, turning away from the window and sitting back down at her desk.

"I don't see anything," Mako said, looking up and down the street.

"Yeah I think it might've just been a...lens flare or something." Korra busied herself with a new sketch, trying to shrug off any sort of suspicion that she had basically just stalked Asami through a window. She spent a good chunk of the morning drawing some sort of hybrid of a polar bear and a dog while Mako worked with a few more customers. Around lunchtime, the shop was empty and Mako offered to go pick up lunch.

"I called down to Tenzin's for some of those veggie noodle wraps," Mako said as he yanked on his helmet, "He said the line is pretty long so I won't be back for a good thirty minutes."

"Do you need some company?" Korra asked.

"Nah I can talk to his kids. I like them." Mako said with a smile. He waved goodbye and rode off down the street. Korra waited until she was sure he wasn't coming back and turned off the buzzing neon open sign. Locking the front door behind her, she glanced around and casually walked across the street. She scanned the inside of the flower shop and spotted Asami standing behind the cash register, handing the only customer a small bag of tulip seeds. After the woman exited, stopping to give Korra's tattooed body an uptight glare, the shop was finally deserted. Korra walked inside cautiously, hands tugging nervously on the bottom of her gray tanktop.

"Korra!" Asami said excitedly, closing the register, "It's so good to see you."

"Yeah Mako went to get lunch so I thought I'd stop in." Korra said casually, "How's your tattoo holding up?"

"Oh it's peeling like crazy," Asami said, "And the itch is unbearable,"

"I know how you feel," Korra said, pointing to her bicep, "This one was a nightmare in terms of itching. I wanted to rip my arm off."

"So what's the story about that one?" Asami asked, resting her elbows on the counter.

"It's the armband my ancestors wore to distinguish themselves from the northern tribe," Korra said fondly, running her fingertips over the white and blue pattern, "They were inuit nomads from the south pole and my family still follows tradition pretty closely."

Korra found herself falling into seamless conversation. They talked about their families and the weird traditions that still went on. Korra was in the middle of explaining a highly important ritual that involved kissing an arctic fox, when she was interrupted by a sharp sounding knock. Mako was standing outside the glass door of the shop, juggling two bags of food in one arm. He gestured to the locked front door of the tattoo parlor, looking extremely disgruntled.

"I didn't even hear him pull up." Korra sighed, hopping off the counter.

"We sort of lost track of time anyway didn't we?" Asami said, glancing at the flower shaped clock on the wall.

"Yeah...I guess I should get going or something." Korra muttered, digging the heel of her sneaker into the floor and feeling very disappointed.

"I'll see you around Korra." Asami said with a smile and a gentle wave, "I loved talking to you."

"Same to you," Korra saluted jokingly as she pushed open the glass door and gave a final wave.

"Making friends I see?" Mako said with a smirk as Korra shoved him out of the way to unlock the door.

"I didn't want to sit by myself for thirty minutes," She said defensively, fumbling with the lock slightly, "Might as well spend it with someone who can actually hold a conversation." She pushed open the door and walked in, Mako trailing behind her.

"You've never gone over there before." He nagged, "Why start now?"

"I didn't know she even worked over there!" Korra said through a mouth full of veggies and noodles, "Why are you harassing me man?"

"I'm just curious about your lady friend," Mako shrugged, soaking his wrap in hot sauce, "You always hound me about girls I spend time with."

"Yeah because you have horrible taste in women," Korra snickered.

"That's ridiculous!" Mako said, outraged, "I've seen you check out my girlfriends before, don't even deny it!"

"Sure they're attractive but I'm usually wondering where they keep their brains." Korra laughed, hitting her desk with her palm. Mako's face turned red as he shoved a fork full of noodles into his mouth, scowling over at Korra.

"Just don't get used to spending a lot of time over there," He said sternly, "We could've had customers while you were off in dreamland with Asami."

"It was a one time thing okay?" Korra said, "I'll probably never even talk to her again. Problem solved." Mako looked satisfied and went back to eating, but Korra couldn't shake the awful feeling that she just told the biggest lie of her life.


	3. Chapter 3

Korra sat cross-legged on the counter of the flower shop, resting her chin on her fist as she listened to Asami's explanation of cactus care. Flowers had never been her thing. In fact, she always considered it an old person hobby that she would eventually take up when she hit her mid 70's. Of course that would only happen if she somehow acquired the gift of being patient which she wasn't exactly holding her breath for. But somehow Asami made it seem like an amazing pastime. Korra had found herself sneaking to the flower shop every time Mako went out on lunch break. She wasn't doing it to spite him, there was just something that kept bringing her back everyday. It didn't hurt that Asami was extremely good looking either.

"People think a cactus can't die of dehydration but that's a myth," Asami said matter-of-factly, "It just takes a lot longer."

"I'd be horrible at trying to keep a plant alive." Korra said, "Routine isn't exactly my forte."

"Well then a cactus would be perfect for you." Asami said brightly, "Consider it a gift." She grabbed the round, spiky plant from the shelf behind her and put it on the counter.

"I can't steal a cactus from you," Korra said quickly, "It would be a waste if it died."

"Lucky for you they only need water once a week. That will give you plenty of time to remember."

"You sure?"

"Positive." Asami nudged the pot closer to Korra who took it gingerly in her hands.

"I didn't think I'd be into gardening until I was all wrinkled." Korra grinned.

"Just because you're covered in tattoos and think you're a badass doesn't mean you can't enjoy gardening."

Korra was about to retaliate when she saw Mako pulling around to the back of the shop. She jumped up and said a hurried goodbye and thanks to Asami, grabbing the cactus and bolting across the street. She nearly dropped the potted plant trying to get back to her desk but managed to have half of her butt in the chair right as Mako walked through the back door. He didn't look up from his phone but mumbled a greeting to Korra who grunted back, trying to seem like she had been busy.

"What up with the cactus?" Mako said, looking at it suspiciously.

"Uh, a client called in asking for a sketch of one and I thought it would be nice to have a real reference." Korra lied smoothly, flicking one of the jutting spikes. Mako stared at it, his eyes narrowing.

"Let me guess where you got it,"

"You can't prove anything." Korra said defensively, hugging the cactus, "There's plant shops all over the city!"

"Korra I told you that you can't keep leaving the shop like this," Mako sighed angrily, "It's bad for business."

"Then why do you have to leave for lunch?" She snapped, "Make a sandwich at home or something."

"Maybe I will. Then I can stay here and make sure you don't leave!"

"I'd leave anyway!"

"Korra I'm serious!"

"So am I!"

"You're going to jeopardize our business for some girl?" Mako yelled.

"As if you wouldn't do the same thing you hypocrite!"

They were both standing now, teeth bared and nostrils flaring with anger. This felt so wrong. Korra and Mako were close friends and arguing with him was a very rare occurrence. As stubborn as she was, Korra couldn't help but understand Mako's anger. She tried to imagine how she would react if she found out Mako was sneaking out to visit a girl everyday. She already knew her reaction...and it would not be kind to Mako's face. Korra sighed, her temper ebbing away.

"Look," She said, "You're right. I've been an ass."

"I'm just worried about the shop," Mako said, "Business has been really slow lately."

"I know. We need every customer we can get." Korra mumbled, looking away.

"We just can't afford any distractions right now."

"Yeah."

Korra had not gone back to the flower shop in two weeks. She didn't want to give Mako anymore reasons to be angry for one thing, and also she knew it was bad for business. But she still felt a dull ache in her chest whenever she glanced through the window and saw Asami watering the flowers out front. Korra kept the cactus that Asami had given her on the corner of her desk. She remembered to water it every couple of days as advised by the online gardening forum she'd found. Part of her had hoped Asami would've come around to the shop to say hello but to Korra's disappointment, she never showed. Maybe Asami thought Korra had gotten bored with her and didn't want to come back. Her insides clenched at this thought, desperately hoping that wasn't the case.

"Hey I have a cactus like that!" Korra's current customer said excitedly, effectively snapping her out of her inner monologue.

"Er what?" She said.

"That cactus," the man repeated, "I bought one not too long ago from that shop across the street. That's how I discovered this place!"

"Oh… That's nice, I'm glad to hear it." Korra said with a forced smile.

"To be honest I only went in there because the owner is a catch," The man said smugly, "You ever seen her?"

"No," Korra said with disinterest, going back to her sketch.

"You're missing out. She is such a babe. I should go in there after getting this tattoo to lay some groundwork if you know what I mean." He rambled on. Korra's hand clenched the pencil as she put the finishing touches on the tiger she was designing. The thought of this egotistical piece of trash putting his hands on Asami made Korra want to crumple up the paper and shove it in her customer's mouth. She tried to keep her temper under control as she showed the man her sketch.

"Wow that's great!" He said, tilting it to the side, "The ladies won't be able to keep their hands off me."

"I have to run it through the stencil machine and then we can get started," Korra said, glad to have an excuse to leave the cubicle. As the machine created the stencil, Korra took deep, calming breaths. She refused to lose this customer over something stupid. Besides, Asami would probably never go for a guy like that. At least she hoped.

"I'm so ready for this!" The man said, hitting his chest like an ape, "Let's do it!"

"You won't be that excited once I start stabbing." Korra said, laying the purple stencil on the man's shin. She peeled it off and grabbed her tattoo machine, dipping the needle into the black ink. She was honestly surprised that the man's bravado lasted as long as it did. He pep-talked himself through the pain for a solid hour, but fell silent as Korra began to do the coloring. At first she felt satisfied at the man's pain since she'd taken a definite dislike to him, but grew concerned when she looked up to see his face completely red.

"Everything alright?" She asked uneasily.

"Oh yeah I'm good," The client said through his teeth, "I ain't no girl, keep going I've got this!"

"I'm almost done just try to stay conscious." Korra said, firing up the needle again and feeling annoyed by the customer's girl comment. She went back to filling in the black stripes, fingers crossed that this guy didn't hit the floor. Even Mako was looking at the man with some concern. By the time she finished, the man's face had started to turn a delicate shade of purple. He let out a huge sigh of relief, admiring the fierce tiger that now decorated his shin.

"This is just fantastic!" He gushed, "Completely manly!"

"I'm glad you like it," Korra said, rushing to get this guy out of the shop so they could close, "It's gonna cost you about $250."

"Nonsense," he said, whipping out his wallet, "Work this fine gets a good tip!" He slapped a stack of cash into Korra's hand, not even bothering to count it. He shook her hand roughly and pulled on his jacket, "To tell you the truth I was a bit skeptical about letting a female tattoo artist do my tiger but I'm impressed!"

"Thanks for choosing Arrow Head Tattoo," Mako said stiffly to him as he approached the door.

"Now to get me a companion for the night," The customer said slyly, winking at Korra and exiting the shop.

"That bastard!" Korra shouted, slamming her fist on her desk.

"Calm down," Mako said sternly, locking the windows and turning off the neon signs, "You can't do anything about it."

"The hell I can't," Korra said, "I'm officially off the clock."

"Not until you clean up that mess." Mako pointed to her cubicle, "And don't go getting arrested over some sexist asshole okay?" She scowled at him and rushed to throw away all the used needles and other supplies. She stopped mid cleanup to look through the window. The man was talking over the counter at Asami who clearly looked disgruntled and irritated. It looked as if Asami had said something to the man that struck a nerve because his suave expression quickly turned angry. Korra dropped her pile of trash and stuck her face to the window, watching closely. He leaned closer over the counter, his muscles rippling threateningly. Asami crossed her arms and spoke again; Korra desperately wished she could hear. He was shouting now, his meaty hands balled into fists. Asami gave terse laugh, casuing even more rage. The man swung his arm, knocking an entire display of pots to the floor, the veins in his neck popping and his temples pulsing.

Before she even realized what she was doing, Korra was out the door, sprinting across the street without looking. She burst through the flower shop entrance, jumping on the man's back and clamping her arms around his neck. He gagged at the sudden pressure, stumbling backwards and grabbing at Korra's arms. She held tight as he swung back and forth, trying to shake her off. He backed into a wall, knocking Korra's head against the solid concrete. Korra released her hold with a groan, sliding to the ground limply. The man looked as if he were about to attack again when suddenly his eyes bulged and his mouth dropped open as if he'd been stunned. Then he crashed to the floor unconscious.

"Korra!" Asami knelt down, removing Korra's beanie and looking at the back of her head.

"S' okay," Korra slurred, "I'm fine." Asami ran her fingers through Korra's hair, poking her head until Korra let out a yelp.

"No blood. Just a giant lump." Asami said with a sigh, "That's a relief."

"What did you do to him?" Korra said, looking at the body on the floor.

"Pressure point technique." Asami said, holding up her fingers, "Very effective if you know what to do."

"Good." Korra said with a droopy smile, "I would've been a goner."

"Thanks for running over," Asami said gently, "I don't think I would've reacted fast enough it you hadn't shown up."

"I wasn't gonna let that jerk smash up your shop," Korra said, "I'm here for you."

Asami put her hand on Korra's cheek, cradling her drooping head as Mako came bursting through the front door. His eyes swept over the unconscious man and Korra slumped against the wall.

"Shit." Was all he could manage to utter.

"Told you I could do something about it," Korra said. Then she passed out.


	4. Chapter 4

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> An Asami centered chapter! Just for you!

Asami sat in the hospital cafeteria, swirling her chopsticks around in her rapidly cooling bowl of noodles. Mako sat across from her, chomping on a rubbery bite of some kind of meat. The cafeteria lady wouldn't say what it was. They weren't talking much since the two had never had the one-on-one time like Asami had with Korra. She glanced up at the clock constantly, aching for the time when she'd finally get to go into Korra's room and gush an apology. Guilt tugged at her stomach as she looked back down into her styrofoam bowl, her appetite shrinking even more. She just had to run her mouth at that jerk who tried to get her to go home with him, this was her fault completely. Asami sighed and covered her face with her hands.

"This is all my fault," She sighed, "I have a big mouth."

"It isn't your fault," Mako said through a mouthful of food, "You were just protecting yourself."

"And look where that got us," Asami said angrily, "Korra is in the hospital with a cracked rib and a concussion." Another wave of guilt washed over Asami. Wow it sounded even worse when she said it out loud.

"Hey come on now," Mako said awkwardly. Not knowing Asami very well, he wasn't sure what type of consolation she responded to. "Korra chose to blindly run into battle. She knew the consequences. Kinda." Asami sighed again, going back to stirring her noodles which had become stone cold.

"I just hope she isn't mad," Asami fretted.

"Well we can go ask her ourselves," Mako said, pointing to the clock, "Its finally 8:00." Asami jumped up, not bothering to push in her chair, and dumped her uneaten food into the nearest trashcan. She impatiently waited on Mako to dump his tray properly, shaking off the crumbs and putting it neatly on top of the trashcan. They practically jogged through the white corridors until they reached Korra's room number. Asami hesitated at the door, her hand brushing gently against the cold metallic handle. This could either go very well or end with Asami in the hospital herself. She tried to keep Mako's words in mind as she finally pushed the door open slowly. Korra was laying back in bed, watching TV with a very bored expression on her face. She had gauze wrapped around her head and a trashcan next to her bed to catch the result of concussive nausea. She finally looked up from the TV, her face splitting into a wide grin.

"Asami!" Korra said excitedly, fumbling with the remote to turn the volume of the TV down.

"Korra…" Asami said, biting her lip and looking down. Korra's grin faded slightly.

"What's wrong did somebody die?"

"I'm so sorry about this." Asami said, her eyes flickering to the bandages around Korra's head, "This is my fault." Korra shook her head vigorously.

"That's crazy!" she said, wincing slightly. "That dude would've tried to hurt you and there's no way in hell I was gonna have that."

"But-"

"But nothing." Korra said firmly, "I take full responsibility for my actions Asami. And I'm glad I did." Korra crossed her arms and raised her eyebrows at Asami. They stared at each other in silence until Asami broke down in a fit of relieved laughter.

"You're such a dork," She said between giggles, "And I'm so glad I met you." Korra blushed but smiled, rubbing the back of her head coyly. Asami pulled a chair up next to the bed, grabbing Korra's tattooed hand in her own. She looked behind her only to find Mako smirking through the door window, flashing a thumbs up and disappearing.

"I just wanted you to know that I didn't come and visit because business was slow," Korra said, "I had to scrape every customer I could but I wanted to come see you." Asami turned back around to see the guilty look on Korra's face.

"Korra I knew that." Asami said.

"Wha-?"

"Oh come on," Asami grinned, squeezing Korra's hand, "You wouldn't stare at me like you do and suddenly decide not to come back." Korra's cheeks went deep red as she quickly looked down in embarrassment.

"I didn't know you noticed." Korra mumbled, "I'm sorry." Asami reached up and put a hand on Korra's cheek.

"You act like I wasn't staring right back," She said softly. The gazed at each other, neither one knowing what to do next. Asami was absentmindedly running her thumb over the back of Korra's hand and inching closer and closer to her face. She could feel Korra's breath wash over her lips, making her shiver. Asami was so ready to close the gap between them, to grab Korra's face and kiss her until she was dizzy. Her hand slid down to Korra's chin, guiding her forward.

"Your paperwork is all clear Korra!" The doctor said, bursting through the door. Korra and Asami jumped apart, their faces practically glowing, "You can go as soon as the nurse gives you a final check up."

"That's great. Thanks doc." Korra said through her teeth. She looked apologetically at Asami as a nurse came bustling through the door. Asami smiled at her and backed against the wall to give the nurse some room.

"Well Korra let's take a look at those ribs," The nurse said cheerfully, "I assume the painkillers wore off?"

"Uh-"

The nurse jabbed her fingers into Korra ribs, eliciting a yelp.

"Yep," Korra wheezed.

"Well you'll be fine if you rest easy," The nurse said, "Same with your head." She unwrapped the gauze and probed around the back of Korra's head, making her grimace at Asami who stifled a giggle with her fingers. The nurse wrote her report on a clipboard and gave Korra the affirmative to leave after checking out at the front desk. She sauntered out of the room, leaving Korra and Asami alone once more.

"Are you gonna stare at me or change out of that hospital gown?" Asami said, throwing a pair of jeans at Korra who scowled and stood up to yank them on. She pulled the gown up over her head, revealing a torso as equally tattooed as her arms and hands. Her muscled back was decorated with a large family crest surrounded by a violet, ornate dragon which had what looked like tribal language carved into its scales. Long, jewel-encrusted daggers stabbed into the jaw of the dragon, giving it a hostile expression.

"Who's staring now?" Korra muttered with a smirk, making Asami snap back into reality.

"Can you blame me?" Asami said, walking forward and placing her hands on Korra's shoulders, "Think there will be interruptions this time?" She added in a low, flirty voice. She heard Korra gulp.

"Uhh." Was all Korra could utter before Asami pulled her closer and sealed their lips together. Korra rested her hands on Asami's hips, which made Asami's pulse skyrocket. She pulled away and put her lips next to Korra's ear.

"Put your shirt on." She said, leaving a small kiss on her cheek.

"That's the opposite I would expect to hear in this situation." Korra said with a breathy laugh, but she obliged and put her T-shirt on anyway. They exited the room with their hands wound together.

"Ugh I smell like a hospital." Korra moaned, holding her shirt to her nose.

"Sometimes you have to make sacrifices for your woman," Asami said, leaning over to catch Korra's lips again.

"I think I can handle it," she replied, looking dazed with happiness.

"So," Asami said, slinging her arm around Korra's shoulders as they exited the hospital, "I've seen all your upper body tattoos. When do I get to see the rest?"


	5. Chapter 5

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I have this vision where Modern AU Korra is always wearing a beanie. And she totally rocks it.

Korra winced as the needle dove back into the delicate skin of her feet. She focused on breathing in and out to try and distract from the intense pain radiating from her right foot where Mako was steadily tattooing. He was one of the few people Korra trusted with her sacred tribal tattoos mostly because Mako knew how important they were to her. It also didn't hurt that he was extremely steady with straight lines. She had decided to start on her traditional inuit wolves which were proving to be more painful than she bargained for since the feet are very sensitive.

"Mako you're killing me," Korra groaned, rubbing her eyes with the heel of her palms.

"I haven't even finished the outline of the fur." Mako said apologetically, pausing his tattooing to allow Korra a moment to breathe. She signaled him to keep going after psyching herself back up but sweared loudly as the needle made contact once again. She gripped the sides of the chair as Mako filled in the small outline of the wolf's teeth. The front door bell jingled, announcing that someone had entered the building, gracing Korra with another break as Mako looked up.

"Oh hey Asami!" Mako called to the front of the shop.

"Hey guys." Asami said back, putting a vase full of flowers on Korra's desk as she usually did once a week. She walked into the cubicle, gave Korra a quick kiss, and leaned over to inspect Mako's work.

"How's it looking?" Mako asked, wiping off some excess ink so Asami could see the outline in its entirety.

"Wow that's looking fantastic!" Asami said enthusiastically, "How are you handling the pain?" Korra grimaced in response, letting out a another grunt of discomfort as Mako began again. Asami pulled up a chair next to Korra and took her hand which Korra squeezed tightly in response.

"I can handle cracked ribs but apparently not this," Korra said through her teeth, hands twitching as the needle moved back and forth.

"You don't have hospital strength painkillers this time," Asami reminded her sweetly, reaching up to adjust Korra's beanie which had become lopsided when she last jumped in pain.

"I'm so lucky to have such a caring and supportive girlfriend," Korra said in a joking voice, sighing in relief as Mako finally finished the detailed linework.

"Whew finally done," he said, putting down his tattoo machine and slapping on some antibacterial gel.

"Mako this looks great," Korra raved, pulling her leg up to get a better look. The wolf was snarling and holding a jeweled dagger in its mouth (identical to the ones stabbing the dragon on her back) and had the symbol of her tribe, a circle with three spiral waves, carved into a necklace wrapped around its throat.

"I'm sorry I can't do the color today, Bolin is in town for the week." Mako said, pulling off his black rubber gloves.

"Trust me I'm not upset," Korra assured him, wincing as her foot gave a terrible throb, "Thanks for this."

"My pleasure," Mako saluted, "Now do me a favor and clean this up. I gotta go meet Bo at the airport."

"What no way!" Korra whined, "I'm paying you!" But Mako had already grabbed his keys and made a mad dash out the back door. Korra yelled an offensive name after him to which he laughed and called out a thank you. She grumbled under her breath and hobbled over to grab the trashcan from the back room.

"Want some help?" Asami offered, rolling her chair back under Mako's desk.

"That would be great thanks," Korra grinned. She still couldn't believe how lucky she was to have someone like Asami as her actual girlfriend. Sometimes the realization that this was actually happening would come out of nowhere and whack Korra in the face with all these mushy feelings. Though occasionally she thought about what would've happened if she hadn't been closely watching that awful customer from a couple months ago. Korra shuddered, not wanting to dwell on the possibility of Asami getting hurt.

"That reminds me," Korra said, breaking out of her thoughts, "I never asked you what you said to that customer a couple months ago to make him so angry."

"Oh yeah," Asami said, smiling fondly, "Well he came in bragging about his masculinity or something like that and then he told me to go out for a drink with him." She paused and made a disgusted face as if imagining the scenario in her head.

"Then what?"

"I told him I don't hang out with guys that don't have tattoos and piercings. The sarcasm went right over his head."

"But he does-"

"Yeah that's what he said to me as well; and he pointed out the one on his leg."

"Aaaand?" Korra prodded.

"I said 'I've seen birthmarks that look better than that thing' and that's when he lost his mind." Asami finished with a shrug.

Korra burst into a fit of laughter, definitely admiring Asami's clever rejection methods.

"Hey wait," Korra said suddenly, pointing to herself, "I drew that tattoo."

"I know," Asami said, pulling Korra into an embrace and kissing her cheek, "I lied, it actually looked amazing but I didn't want him to know that."

"Ahh you didn't want him to know that you were totally blown away by my fantastic art skills." Korra said.

"I took one look at it and my pants immediately flew off," Asami poked Korra playfully in the side.

"I know I say this a lot but I'm glad you weren't hurt." Korra mumbled into Asami's shoulder.

"I'm glad you were there for me," Asami said back, wrapping her arms around Korra's waist, "And we can both thank your impulsive nature for that." Korra gave a "har har" before she was interrupted by Asami's lips, which was completely fine with her. They stayed like that for a few minutes before Asami finally broke off, much to Korra's annoyance.

"Don't we have a mess to clean up?" Asami said quietly against Korra's cheek.

"Mako can get it tomorrow," Korra said distractedly, reaching back up for Asami's lips. Asami sauntered away, thrusting a trashcan into Korra's hands with a smile. Korra rolled her eyes, trying to hide her grin as she began to throw away used paper towels and gloves. She looked up and noticed the vase of flowers sitting on her desk.

"What flowers did you bring this week?" Korra asked, limping over to the vase and inspecting the petals carefully, "They're crazy beautiful."

"They're chrysanthemums," Asami said, "Which is interesting because they're usually only native to Asian and East European countries." Korra knew Asami was about to launch into an entire lesson about this particular flower family along with several others and she was all too happy to listen. Korra knew now that gardening wasn't just a pastime for withered old ladies with nothing else better to do. People with tattoos who think they're badass can enjoy it as well; and Korra thought just maybe that she might have found a new favorite hobby.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Thank you so much to all of you who read this and left good feedback and tips. I appreciate it very much and I hope you enjoyed this story. Keep an eye out for more fics to come out soon.  
> -Gummy


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